Sparrow's Revenge
by The Raven2
Summary: Six years ago, Captain Raven Margow of the Bloody Arrow refused Jack Sparrow passage off of Tortuga. Now Jack's got the Pearl back, and he's out for revenge.
1. The Prologue

Disclaimer: All characters you recognize claimed by Disney, though I do wish I coud claim Jack. Ah well.  
  
Sparrow's Revenge  
  
The woman stood on the dock, listening to the slight creak of the rowboat tied by her feet, waiting. Her crew was already on her ship, anchored in the harbor of Tortuga. The wind was rippling her cape, disturbing her strictly tied braid. It also whipped the locks of the pirate's hair standing before her, clinking the beads woven into it and playing with the hem of his coat.  
  
His dark eyes, rimmed in black, were narrowed, and angry. She turned away, not wanting to see the pain and fury evident on his face. This was one of the few times that Jack Sparrow was not drunken, jolly, or carefree. He was furious, and it was all her fault.  
  
"I'm sorry Jack. You know it had to be done."  
  
His reply was to simply turn away, and begin to walk back up the creaking dock. "Jack!"  
  
He stopped, turned his head slightly to show he was listening, hoping, she presumed, that she would change her mind. She wouldn't. He ought to know better. "You would have done the same thing," she said.  
  
He raised his head, allowing her a view of his eyes, glinting in the sunset's glow. "No, I wouldn't have." And with that, he turned away, and walked out of Captain Raven Margow's life. 


	2. The Return

"And heave!" The four crewmembers as one pulled the line, pulling up the sail to the mast. More crew in the riggings lashed it to the weathered wood, sending an "ok" signal when it was secured. Raven Margow turned away, attending to the rest of her crew. They were back in Tortuga, again.  
  
Sighting through her glass, she noted no other large ships in the docks. Closing it with a snap, she turned to her first-mate, who had run up to her. "What?"  
  
"Rumors Cap'n! They're aboundin'!"  
  
"About what now?"  
  
"Jack Sparrow! He's got the Black Pearl back, and is sailin' again! Can ye believe it!?"  
  
Raven's eyes widened. So he had gotten passage anyway off Tortuga. She thought back years ago, when she thought she would never see him again, when she had refused him passage on board the Bloody Arrow.  
  
"Any idea where he is now?" Her reply was sharp and short, as was typical of her. Raised a Tortuga prostitute, turned to a pirate captain when she tricked the original captain of the Bloody Arrow out of his ship and gotten her own crew, she hadn't used her golden tongue since really. Not even to get herself out of trouble. Some rumored that it was guilt, for the captain she had deceived had died a fairly horrible death from his crew.  
  
"Nay Cap'n. Some say he should be back soon though, seeing as he hasn't been seen in port for near month now."  
  
"Well then, we shall see what happens then, won't we? Now what're ye waitin' for? Get the loot unloaded and get us some supplies." With a quick salute, the woman whirled and ran off, barking orders to her fellow crewmembers. Raven allowed herself a quick smile, before spinning on her heel and stalking into the captain's quarters.  
  
Running a hand through the most valuable of the goods, she selected a piece to keep. Slipping the gold and silver inlaid armband up her tan- darkened forearm, she settled it into place above her elbow. Casually slapping the lid of the trunk shut, she shoved it out the door to the crew- women waiting outside.  
  
"Get the price that it's worth this time won't ye?" she snarled. They glanced at each, grabbed the trunk and hurried out of the captain's way. She was in a foul mood this morn.  
  
Raven strolled down the dock, not even bothering to glance back at her crew. The five women who had accompanied her on the rowboat glanced at each other. Highly unusual. They shrugged it off, secured the boat, and took off, eager to either find their men they preferred or their tavern.  
The captain was on a mission it seemed, and not even the usual enticements of Tortuga, few as they were for women, distracted her. Brushing coal-black strands of her from her eyes, she scanned the various taverns and bars that lined the few streets of the city. Finding the most likely, she stepped through the doors.  
  
Silence followed her. This was a half-brothel/half-bar. Why the woman captain of the Bloody Arrow was here mystified both clientele and employees. A few of the prostitutes raised their eyebrows, and one was bold enough to openly wonder if something had happened to the Bloody Arrow. Raven's sharp ears overheard her though, and a dagger-like glance silenced the girl.  
  
As the silence began to outweigh the noise from the far side of the room, the men drinking and having a good laugh at one man's drunken stories began to notice, and fall silent themselves. The drunk one didn't seem to care however and continued, with elaborate gestures to illustrate his point.  
  
"And then.." He finally fell silent as Raven stopped in front of him. With a lopsided grin, he attempted, and after a second try succeeded in standing. "Why Raven Margow. What a pleasure." His dark eyes were still clear, and she wondered again if he was faking his drunkenness.  
  
"Jack Sparrow," she answered coolly.  
  
"Ah ah ah." He waggled a finger in her face, and she raised a hand, ceasing the movement. "Captain..Jack Sparrow luv."  
  
"So the rumors are true. The Black Pearl is yours again." He merely grinned mischievously, and raised a bottle of rum.  
  
"And toast I'll have to that." The men around him huzzahed and raised their own glasses. He took an over-exuberant drink and toppled back to his seat, to be fawned upon once again by adoring women. He grinned up at her again. "Join me?"  
  
"You're disgusting as always. But congratulations anyway." With that, she turned away, seeking her preferred tavern and inn, far more quiet than this one. Jack's eyes followed her, and as they were when she had appeared, they were far clearer than a drunk's eyes should be.  
  
"Congratulations to me," he whispered to himself. "And revenge on you darling." One of the women overheard him, and thinking he was speaking to her, leaned down to whisper in his ear.  
  
"Revenge? How vicious." He grinned and pulled her into his lap.  
  
"Indeed." 


	3. The Threat

Raven sat straight up, sputtering. Icy water dripped from her matted braid and ran down her skin in rivulets. Panting, she scrambled to her feet, searching for the culprit who had dumped the bucket on her. Seeing him, she slowed, eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"  
  
Sparrow merely grinned, tossing the bucket aside and leaning against the wall. "What do you think luv?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" she interrogated, still furious as she wrung out her braid and waist sash, sending droplets of water to join the puddle on the floor.  
  
He leaned forward, eyes intense and hands locked behind his back. "Revenge darling. Revenge. You left me on this isle, stranded without a ship, not even willing to give me passage to elsewhere. So, watch your step. I've got my ship back, and a crew. It'll be happening to you next." His dark eyes glittered with delight, his face still shadowed by the mangy hat he continued to wear.  
  
The dark-haired woman's eyes narrowed, and her hands strayed to her sword. "You would have done the same thing. And we both know it."  
  
Now he leaned back, face cold and calculating. "Would I? And you know me that well?"  
  
"Aye." She stepped forward, but he merely stood there. She was still angry that he was taller than her, highly unusual for most inhabitants of this island. Also, he wasn't afraid of her, not even at the deepest level, which further infuriated her. "I do know you that well. As I said when I refused you passage."  
  
His hand whipped out, faster then she could follow. He grabbed her wrist, bringing it up to his eye-level. Rolling back his sleeve, he revealed the "P" brand he had been marked with so long ago. Rolling back her's, he glanced at the smooth skin, unmarked by any brand. Raising his eyebrows at her, his eyes gave his point away before he spoke.  
  
"I'm marked, you're not. I follow the Code, you don't. Therefore, we are nothing alike. Clear?" She pulled her arm away.  
  
"If that's what you like to think." Brushing past him, she stalked down to the docks. Dark eyes rimmed in black followed, and a broad grin formed on a sea-hardened face, revealing the golden teeth.  
  
"Indeed, that is what I think."  
  
Reaching the dock, she found her crew waiting for her, as she had ordered. Nodding in approval, she unlashed the line and jumped into the boat, and they headed to the ship. Scanning, she asked one of her crew. "Where is the Black Pearl?"  
  
The woman nodded towards a stretch of land. "Just beyond that spit of land. It's well-guarded Cap'n. Sparrow left 10 men on that ship." Raven chuckled.  
  
"I'm not surprised, after what happened. He's taking no chances, as he shouldn't. Get the sails full soon as we get aboard. We've work to do." The crew nodded as one, and scrambled up the ladder as soon as they were aboard.  
  
Barking orders, Raven stalked up and down the deck, occasionally helping out a crewmember with lashing a rope or letting out a sail. Stepping up to the main deck, she grabbed the wheel, dismissing the woman who was manning it with a nod. Staring intently out at sea, she smiled. 


	4. The Capture

Raven flopped down on the bed in her cabin, a huge grin on her face. Dawn had broken, and they'd gotten better then half of the gold on a merchant ship last eve. No sign of pursuit all night. They were clear. A sudden shout made her sit bolt upright. Surely they couldn't have followed during the night?  
  
Scrambling to the door, she flung it open and ran to the steering deck. Her first-mate pointed wordlessly, and Raven's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What was the Black Pearl doing here?  
  
Regaining her senses, she shouted orders. "Bring her about! I want to meet this ship head on! And load the guns!" Cara, her first-mate, looked at her curiously. Raven glanced at her. "Just in case Jack Sparrow decides to be unfriendly." Cara nodded and ran below-decks to make sure the orders were being carried out. Meanwhile, Raven kept her eyes on the Pearl. Closer and closer it came, until she could make out the silhouettes scurrying about the ship.  
  
Jumping to the main deck, she sprinted to the side that the Pearl would come up on. Starboard. She cursed the man. There were fewer guns on the starboard side of the Arrow, and he knew it. He was up to something. She waited, ignoring the plunging of the ship as the Pearl pulled alongside, bracing herself on the rail. Jack was indeed waiting for her, with a wicked grin on his face.  
  
Bad sign, she thought. "Well well well, if it isn't the Bloody Arrow. How good to see you mate."  
  
She inclined her head, refusing to answer.  
  
Jack grinned again, and turned to Gibbs, his first-mate. She saw his mouth moving, but couldn't make out the words. He turned back to her as Gibbs ran off. She cursed when she saw he was headed below-decks, same as Cara was doing.  
  
"You do remember what I said back in Tortuga don't ya luv?"  
  
"I remember Sparrow. But if I recall, I didn't involve your crew and ship in it either."  
  
"And I'm not planning on it. This is just a precaution." With his words, ropes slid and wood creaked, and the cannons rolled themselves out. Cara's responsive was impressive, having started the Arrow's guns rolling before the Pearl's had finished. She made a note to compliment her.  
  
"A precaution for what?" she shouted over the noise.  
  
"Just in case you decide not to come over quietly." He had jumped up on the railing, holding himself steady with a lash, a smirk on his face. She cursed him, in many languages. He knew she wouldn't sacrifice her crew or her ship. Her eyes were daggers, and she wished she could pierce him through the heart. But a hand stayed her arm, and she looked to see Cara's intense blue gaze.  
  
"May I respond Cap'n?" Raven, taken utterly by surprise, turned to see the rest of her crew who were not manning the guns had massed behind her, pistols cocked and swords drawn.  
  
"Certainly Cara," she answered, dreading what her first-mate would say. Twas the crew's choice if they turned her over, not her's.  
  
Cara nodded, and turned to Jack, who was watching curiously. Her blue eyes seemed to smolder in the dawn's light, and her words carried clear over the water. "Ya make take her Cap'n Sparrow," Raven's heart sank, then lifted at the next words. "Over the dead bodies of this crew and ship!" With the last screamed words the cannons fired, and Jack was knocked to the deck of his ship. He scrambled to his feet as the Pearl automatically returned fire, glaring at the both of them. Raven merely grinned, bowed, then turned and began shouting orders.  
  
The gunfight that ensued was furious indeed, perhaps not legendary, but the insults shouted back and forth most certainly were. In the end, sadly, it was the Pearl that triumphed. The Arrow's ammunition stocks were emptied, the women pirates' swords bloodied but dropped, and pistols tossed over the side of the ship.  
  
Jack and Raven, who had pursued each other all over the ship in their duel, had halted in the middle. Jack's eyes were not amused, for he hated to see a proud woman defeated, but as she surveyed her crew, throats threatened by the Pearl's blades, she dropped her eyes, her sword, and her pride.  
  
"Damn you to hell Jack," she whispered, falling to her knees. "Take me if you will, but don't hurt me crew, or me ship." Jack lowered his blade, sheathed it.  
  
"Now luv, you know I'd never do that to ya." He nodded to his men, who released the crew but kept a wary eye and blade on them as they returned to the Pearl. Jack stood before Raven and offered her a hand. She glared at him and stood on her own, then turned and boarded the Pearl. A glance behind her showed her crew's lips were set, their eyes hard. She nodded once, and Cara nodded back. They would take care of the Arrow, until she could come back to it. They would also follow, discreetly.  
  
Jack glanced at her, and seemed to know her plan, but he didn't say a word against it. "Take her to the brig," he motioned to Gibbs, who pushed her gently in the back. Apparently, no rough treatment for her, simply expecting her to follow orders. Tamely, she headed below decks.  
  
Gibbs slammed the cell door shut, glancing at the captive pirate. "Ya know, ya almost deserve this."  
  
Her reply was a snarl that made the first-mate take a step back. "Don't dare speak to me." Gibbs shrugged, pocketed the key, and made his way up to the deck. They were already underway, and the Arrow was shrinking into the distance.  
  
"A good wind," he commented. Jack glanced at him, a smirk on his face.  
  
"That it is. A wind of revenge that will soon blow itself out." He hopped off the steering deck and made his way into the captain's cabin.  
  
Meanwhile, Raven slouched against the side of the ship, head sunk onto her arms. How could this have happened? Why was he doing this? Curse him! To the deepest pit of hell! She let out an exasperated sigh, which no one heard. At least her ship was in good hands. Cara was a good sailor, and pirate, and would make a fine captain if she never returned. She was willing to bet that if the Pearl lost them, they would make their way back to Tortuga, wait for the Pearl to dock, and find what news they could. Those were her standing orders if something happened to her. Not that she had expected anything to happen to her.  
  
A few days passed, and she ate what meager food they gave her. She never saw Jack once, only those who gave her food and emptied the bucket they had given her. Shouts from above, and cannon fire awoke her from sleep. She could hear Jack's voice rising above the others, cursing the Navy. She smiled grimly; he was getting what he deserved.  
  
Footsteps on the ladder brought her to her feet, and she grimaced as she saw two Navy officers in their "shoot-me-now" red coats. One produced Gibbs' key, and unlocked the cell. She simply stood there as he fished irons from a pouch. The other studied her for a moment, then seized his companion's arm.  
  
"That's Captain Raven Margow! She's been raiding the Port Royal for months!" Raven smiled, but inside she seethed. Of course, someone WOULD recognize her. The other stared for a moment, then hastened to put her in the handcuffs. She offered no resistance, she knew better. "Come on, we'd better tell the captain." The other hurriedly agreed and hustled her up the ladder.  
  
Sighing, she let herself be lined up, coincidentally, beside Jack Sparrow. He flashed a mournful grin at her, but she ignored him. "Go figure eh?" he whispered.  
"Only what you deserve," she returned.  
  
"Why luv, I'm devastated you should think that way." She almost strangled him then, but fortunately for his throat, the captain of the Navy ship approached. Jack grinned again.  
  
"How good to see ya!" His grin faded under the stare of the captain. "Or maybe not."  
  
"Well." Raven winced at his voice. So damned dry and stuck up. "Two captains in one capture. How unusual."  
  
Jack managed to grin again. "Your lucky day eh?" The captain stared at him again, then turned to Raven. Raising her chin up with the hilt of his blade, he studied her a moment.  
  
"The infamous Captain Margow. Captured at last."  
  
"What can I say? I like to play hard to get. Especially with the Navy, seeing as they like me so much." Her grin was suggestive, and to her amusement, the captain actually turned red at the comment. Jack's slight laughter made the captain even more embarrassed, and he whipped around.  
  
"Put those two in the brig. The rest go in the Pearl's brig. You and you and you and you. Man this ship and bring her into Port Royal." He strode onto his ship across the boarding plank, and Raven and Jack were shoved along behind.  
  
The cell doors clanged close behind them, one for Raven, one for Jack. Jack grinned.  
  
"Private quarters." Raven rolled her eyes and slumped back down to the floor.  
  
"Well isn't this familiar," she answered dryly. Jack just grinned again, then began experimenting with the manacles on his wrists. She opened her eyes as the ringing of metal on metal began to reverberate through the brig. "Can't you at least let me get some sleep?"  
  
Jack chuckles again. "And where would be the fun in that luv?" He eyed her a moment, then leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms the best he could. "Now then, what shall we do to past the time? I know a wonderful song," and he began to sing. Raven groaned and dropped her head onto her arms. Would her torment never end? 


	5. The Escape

Drums resounded through the square, and the crowd lined up to see the two pirate captains, leading the Pearl's crew, through the town to the jail. Some booed, others decided to throw rotten fruit and bread. Raven trudged her feet through the muck. Of all her ends, she had never considered this one. Her ship was too slippery to get caught, her crew too wise. Now though, because of the fumblings of Jack and his crew, here she was, destined to be hanged.  
  
Jack nudged her with his shoulder. "Cheer up luv. I've been here twice before, and I'm still alive and kickin'." He winked at her, and she just stared at him.  
  
"Sure Jack. I'll cheer up when I'm away from here and out of these damned chains." He just shook his head with a grin, and started to hum something. That stupid song he had been singing. It was really sad that she recognized it.  
  
A motion caught her eye then. Jack had raised his hand and made some sort of signal. She followed the direction of his eyes, and saw a young man shaking his head and grinning. A woman stood next to him, a frown furrowing her brow. She looked away abruptly when Jack "accidentally" shoved her. Luckily, none of the officers had seen her looking that way.  
  
"Old friends?" she said out of the corner of her mouth.  
  
He just grinned again. "You have no idea." Raven shook her head in amusement. Jack Jack. She thought. Always getting yourself into even more trouble. Well, at least I'll have an amusing death, 'stead of a borin' one, she thought to herself. They finished parading through the streets and entered the fort. Being half-shoved half-led down the stairs, they came upon the cells. Raven and Jack were shoved into one, and the rest of the crew was divided into the two others.  
  
Raven smacked the bars with her cuffs. "I'm really growing to hate iron."  
  
Jack slumped against the wall, sliding down the sit on the slight ledge made by the stones. "I know the feeling. Trying to get the Pearl, I was thrown in," he thought a moment. "Two or three times I believe."  
  
She glanced at him over her shoulder. "And yet you're still alive. Commendable, at the least." She turned away again; ignoring the drunken grin he gave her yet again. Would he never grow up?  
  
Some hours later, darkness had fallen. Raven had ignored the Commodore's review, although Jack had chatted quite aimlessly with the officer as he passed by. Unnoticed by him, it seemed, all he had received were blank looks. The woman captain half-snoozed, eyes half-lidded, always having some sense on the alert. Jack seemed quite alert, whistling that damned song, eyes darting back and forth. The crew seemed restless as well, and when she heard footsteps, she understood why.  
  
Words floated down the steps, and then quiet footsteps. Moments later, the young man she had seen earlier, and the woman with him appeared. Jack ambled to the front of the cell, casually leaning against it.  
  
"Well then, it's bout time mate."  
  
The young man shook his head. "This is the second time Jack, and the last. They won't be so easy on me this time."  
  
"Ah now Will. You're married to the guvner's daughter! Course they'll go easy on ya!"  
  
The young woman sighed exasperatedly. "You really are a pirate Jack, you know it?"  
  
Jack grinned. "All too well lass, all too well." He glanced behind him, noting Raven's curious look, though it showed only in her eyes. "Wouldn't mind letting this good captain loose too would ya?"  
  
Both sets of eyes swept over to Raven, who inclined her head and got to her feet. "The Captain Margow Jack? Isn't that a bit much? She HAS been harassing the Port for months. Are you sure we should let her go?"  
  
Jack clasped his hands to his heart, with an expression of mock pain. "Why lad? Ya not trusting me? I'm hurt. She's a good man..woman," his expression turned serious. "Just doin' her job mate. She IS a pirate after all." They glanced at her again, then each other, and shrugged.  
  
"As you say Jack." Will produced a key from his pocket, and quietly opened the cell door, then moved on to the crew's. Raven followed Jack out of the cell, and quietly walked down the aisle, to "an alternate route" as Jack put it. She heard the men walking behind her, and soon they were out of the fort and near the docks.  
  
Raven cleared her throat. "Jack?" He glanced back. She raised her hands pointedly, indicating the cuffs.  
  
"Oh those." He glanced down at his own, then to Will.  
  
"What? It's not like I can get them off right now."  
  
"Good point. Em, looks like we'll have to deal with them for now."  
  
"Wonderful," she muttered. "Dueling with cuffs on."  
  
"Hey, I've done it," Jack said with a grin.  
  
Will snorted. "Right, with the chain broken."  
  
Jack grinned again. "True. Now then." He turned back to the crew and quickly outlined the plan.  
  
Simple, Raven thought, but effective. Within minutes they had reached the dock of the Pearl, and she and Jack strolled out quite casually. While the officers were otherwise occupied with Raven and Jack, the crew ran to the ship. Jack smiled and waved cheerfully, and Raven let out a sigh. Show off.  
  
Immediately several officers ran up. Naturally. "Well hello! My hands are a bit blue, mind getting these off me?" Jack said cheerily as the first of the Navy reached them, waving exateratedly with his hands. Two of them looked at him, then each other, and Raven took advantage. Grabbing Jack's hands with her own, he immediately swung her around, getting her off the ground to kick the officers in the face. Sadly, he let go a little too soon, and she thumped to the ground. Rolling to her feet, she glared at Jack, who just shrugged and grinned. Back-to-back, they faced them for a moment, then glanced to the Pearl.  
  
As one, they took off, shoving their way through officers and dodging bullets, running breakneck over the dock to get to the Pearl, already shoving off. Diving into the water, they started to swim, then veered away when a heavy rope almost smacked them. Jack grabbed it, and turned to Raven. At that moment, the crew, thinking both of them had a hold of it, heaved and Jack was swung out of the water and onto the deck.  
  
"Don't ye dare leave me pirate!" Raven screamed, still swimming.  
  
"Throw the rope ya idiots!" Jack commanded, swatting a crewmember as he went by. The rope dropped, Raven got a hold of it and was swung up the same as Jack.  
  
"Oof!" Raven dropped to the deck, landing rather badly. Jack scurried up the stairs.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned upon seeing blood on her hands. She removed them from her shoulder, and winced upon seeing the bullet hole there. He tore a bit of his sash off, wadding it up and pressing it to her shoulder. Quickly the white sash was stained red, and Raven looked ready to faint from blood-loss. Furious, Jack's eyes darted about the ship, wondering where the hell Gibbs was. He was answered by the fellow pirate heaving himself out from below.  
  
"Gibbs!" The pirate glanced at him, saw the bloodstained sash and ran back below. Emerging again a moment later, he found Jack kneeling over a passed out Raven. Jack glanced at him. "Well, at least she won't give you any trouble."  
  
Shoving Jack aside, Gibbs ripped off the shoulder of her shirt, exposing the wound. Jack shuddered and backed away. A hand landing on his shoulder told him that Will and Elizabeth were still here. "What're you doin' here?" he asked.  
  
Will shrugged. "Like we said, Commodore and the Governor won't let us off that easy this time. Figured we'd come along."  
  
"Oh. Well, welcome back then." He turned back to Raven and Gibbs, who had backed away.  
  
"Well, she's patched up as well as me can. Best take her below or inta the cabin." Jack nodded, stepped forward, and swung her easily into his arms. Disappearing into the cabin, he emerged a moment later, wiping bloodstained hands on his trousers.  
  
"Get us out of here Gibbs. Head for Tortuga, most likely where the Arrow is now." Gibbs nodded and ran off to give the orders, leaving Jack, Will, and Elizabeth on the upper deck.  
  
Jack seemed distracted, muttering something to himself, until Elizabeth laid a hand on his arm.  
  
"Jack?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"How do you know Raven? You two seemed very...familiar."  
  
"It's a long story, best told when we're on open sea." He shrugged off her arm and headed up to the helm. Elizabeth glanced at Will, who shrugged.  
  
"He seems to be broody. Best leave him alone." Elizabeth's eyes narrowed a moment, then she sighed.  
  
"I'll watch over Raven." Will nodded and watched her disappear in the cabin, then headed up the stairs to join Jack. 


	6. The Story

The sun was setting, and no signs of pursuit were in evidence. Jack relaxed, leaning against the wheel. Will was sharpening his sword, half- listening when a snarled scream reached their ears. Both men jumped up to see Raven storming out of the cabin. Will started down the stairs, and looked at Jack, raising his eyebrows.  
  
"Best leave her alone mate, till we know who she's screaming at." Footsteps were heard, and they saw Elizabeth run out of the cabin after her.  
  
Raven whirled on her. "Where is he?" she snarled.  
  
Mutely, Elizabeth nodded towards Jack, who cringed. "Great. Just wonderful," he muttered as Raven stormed up the stairs. Her fury was soon revealed as she raised her hands and shook the chain that connected them.  
  
"Planning on leaving these on?" she hissed, eyes narrowed.  
  
Jack's own eyes widened in surprise, and some relief. "No no, not at all. We just..forgot about them in all the excitement, that's all." He threw a glare at Will, who shook his head.  
  
She looked suspicious still, and Jack tried to sidle his way out of it with a wide smile. "Honest luv. We were so busy, you passing out and all."  
  
She lowered her hands, and shook her head. "Unlikely, but as long as you take them off, I forgive you."  
  
He nodded. "Right. Um, Will?"  
  
Will rolled his eyes, then gestured for Raven to join him. Working carefully at the cuffs with a small dagger, he finally got one popped open, then the other. Raven nodded her thanks, then turned to Jack. "And where are we headed now then?"  
  
"Tortuga," Jack answered promptly. "Figure that's where the Arrow is now."  
  
She bowed her head. "My thanks." She glanced at her shoulder, and it seemed to have started bleeding again. "Bloody bullets. I'm gonna go find Gibbs."  
  
"You do that," Jack said, again with a broad smile. She gave him a suspicious look, then headed off to find Gibbs. He breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back against the wheel. "She's got a temper on her, and it hasn't changed a bit."  
  
Elizabeth had joined them then, and raised her eyebrows. "I knew you've known her a while. How did she come by the Arrow anyway? I know Anamaria is a pirate, but she's not a captain."  
  
Jack's eyes twinkled in the fading light. "That, lass, is a tale worth telling." He settled himself on a barrel near the back of the ship after securing the wheel. Elizabeth joined Will, leaning against his shoulder.  
  
"I didn't know her before she came to Tortuga, but the story goes that she was captured in the America's by some pirates that were later caught, but not before they dropped her at Tortuga. She apprenticed under some wench, don't know her name, but ended up surpassing her. She was indeed a prize, and later mainly catered to the captains, where I come in. That's when I met her, and a different woman she was then. She had the sweetest tongue in the Caribbean, I swear, could talk a man out of his life if she wanted to. Which is how she came by the Arrow.  
  
"I wasn't docked when it happened, but she was..entertaining the captain of the Arrow. Somehow, one way or another, she never really told anyone how, she got him to sign a document turning ownership of the Arrow over to her." Both pairs of eyes widened at this.  
  
"A golden-tongue indeed," Will whispered. Jack nodded.  
  
"She won't use it no more though, not to save her life even. Cause of guilt they say. See, when she came to the Arrow the next mornin', she threw the old crew off. Mainly cause they wouldn't sail under the command of a woman. Well, they couldn't really do nothin' bout her takin' over though see? Not with that piece of paper. So's, they found the captain. Dragged him out of bed I heard. Died a horrible death, the crew was so angry. Later, they threw the remains of him on board the Arrow. Raven's never talked much after that."  
  
"But where did she find all of her current crew?" Jack's mouth opened to answer, when Raven's voice interceded.  
  
"Prostitutes, unhappy with their life. Women pirates, like Anamaria. Some were beggars off the streets." Raven leaned against the rail, arms crossed casually. "There weren't many then that believed we could really make a life out of it, but I've proved 'em all wrong. 'Cept old Jack here. He's the only one that's ever taken on the crew of the Arrow and won." She glanced at him, and he just grinned.  
  
"But Jack, if you're sort of friends, why did you take on the crew of the Arrow?" Elizabeth was now utterly confused.  
  
Jack shrugged and leaned back again. "Revenge luv." He glanced at Raven, who sighed.  
  
"Six years ago, about a month after I had gotten the Arrow, Jack asked for passage to some island. I refused. I don't take men aboard my ship, no ways or how. Jack didn't take to it too kindly."  
  
He shrugged. "You wouldn't either, were you stranded on Tortuga."  
  
Raven half-growled, making Jack jump. "Ya forget mate, I WAS stranded on Tortuga. For 15 years. Long enough for ya?" She whirled and stalked back down the stairs.  
  
Jack raised his hands and rolled his eyes. "Good grief woman. Can ye really blame me? Now ye know how it is to be away from your ship. Be it ten years or a week." He was leaning against the railing, still talking to her as she hesitated about opening the door. She looked up, face almost lost in the shadows.  
  
"And how do ye think my crew will fare without me Jack? The Pearl's an established ship. Unless your crew mutinies again," Jack grimaced. "Ya don't have to worry bout losin' it. Me? I've still got old crew members of the Arrow at Tortuga. Why do ya think we never stay there long? Too many try to take back the Arrow. Tisn't safe Jack. Tisn't safe." Turning away from the cabin, she instead walked to the prow.  
  
Finding comfort in the sea's sound, and the rock of the deck beneath her, she didn't look up at his footsteps. He laid a hand on her shoulder, and squeezed it a little bit.  
  
"I'm sorry luv. I wasn't thinkin' like that. I didna know that the old crew was still in Tortuga. Thought they'd moved on by now."  
  
She sighed. "I know Jack. But you keep forgetting that, though we may be some of the respected pirates in the Sea by the Navy, the other pirates would just as soon see us as prostitutes and whores."  
  
He shifted uncomfortably. "Well, that IS what you used to be."  
  
She brushed his hand off and turned around. "But not anymore. That's why we sail the Arrow now." She looked up, and was surprised to see him gazing off into the waves. "Jack?"  
  
He glanced down. "Hm?"  
  
"Do ye still see us as prostitutes and whores?"  
  
He grinned, his gold and silver teeth flashing in the moonlight. "Nay. I see ye as some of the best pirates that sail this sea." She smiled softly, and moved closer to him. His eyebrows raised in surprise.  
  
"Well, sometimes, we're not much better then the women of Tortuga I'm afraid." Reaching up, she wrapped a hand around the back of his neck and pulled his head down, pressing her lips to his. She felt him smile and wrap his arms around her waist, tangling his fingers in her midnight-dark hair.  
  
A throat cleared broke them apart, and Raven coughed, turning away. Jack shook himself, trying to shake off the stupor he was in. He'd forgotten what that woman could do when she wanted to. "Will?" He coughed now.  
  
"What dya need son?"  
  
"Well, Gibbs said we're to dock soon, and he's sighted the Arrow's sails, whatever that means."  
  
Raven laughed out loud, turning back around. "That means lad, that he's sighted the blood-red sails, streaked with black, that mark my ship. Thank the gold. If anyone else had gotten a hold of the Arrow, they would've changed the sails." She grinned again, her major worry gone. Steps light, she made her way back to the helm, snatching the glass out of Gibbs' hands.  
  
Putting it to her eye, her grin grew. "Get me over there Jack, and ye're forgivin'."  
  
Jack pretended to look offended. "And I'm not already lass?"  
  
She grinned. "Only when I'm safely on my ship." 


	7. The End

Raven's boots landed firmly on the deck. Her first-mate grinned. "Welcome back Cap'n. We're glad to see ye."  
  
She grinned back. "And I'm glad to be home." Turning, she saw Jack watching her. "Till next time Jack."  
  
He saluted. "Till next time."  
  
The End  
  
Thank you all very much for reading. I do hope you enjoyed it. And yes I know they kissed once, but I just had to let her do that.  
  
~Raven 


End file.
